Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of exercise systems and communication systems, and in particular, to an exercise system that communicates over a public communication network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Exercise has increasingly become a higher priority in people""s lives in order to improve one""s health. In response, fitness centers and health clubs have emerged across the United States. In addition, different types of exercise equipment such as stairmasters and rowing machines have been developed to not only provide physical exertion but also to provide entertainment and information for the exerciser.
Some exercise equipment include audio and video components to provide friendlier user interfaces. Speakers and video displays encourage exercisers in simulated competition, which could be either computer generated or against another competitor. One prior system includes two competing rowing machines next to each other and connected via a communication link. A video screen on each rowing machine displays two rowing figures. Unfortunately, this exercise equipment is geographically limited to being next to each other or in the same room. Thus, in order for two competitors to interact on the exercise equipment, the two competitors must be proximately situated.
With entertainment games, users do not have to be proximately situated in order to compete. Users in various games communicate over public networks such as the Internet and public switched telephone network (PSTN). One example is on-line gaming where users gamble over the Internet. Other video game systems such as the Playstation 2(trademark) include network peripherals so people can play video games against each other over a communication network.
In the health care industry, certain medical devices are also connected to communication networks. Therefore, remote measurements, such as blood pressure, can then be made over the communication networks. Various appliances are also being connected to communication networks. One integrated circuit can be used in various appliances to be connected to the Internet/Ethernet. This integrated circuit named the xe2x80x9cSystem on a Chipxe2x80x9d (SOC) by Rabbit Semiconductor of Davis, Calif. includes multiple serial ports, parallel ports, flash memory, RAM, EEPROM, an Ethernet interface, an IP stack, and a 30 MHz 16-bit microprocessor.
Unfortunately, none of the prior systems allows users to exercise together or against each other that are situated remotely from each other.
The invention solves the above problems by exercising using a public communication network. A communication interface is coupled to an exercise machine and the public communication network. The communication interface receives first exercise information from an exercise machine wherein the first exercise information indicates exercise performance. Some examples of exercise information are video and audio files for competitive tracking with voice and video interaction, telemetry data related to performance monitoring, and body conditions such as blood pressure and heart rate.
The communication interface then generates first communication information based on the first exercise information. In one embodiment, the communication information is in Internet protocol (IP) packets. The communication interface then transmits the first communication information over the public communication network. The communication interface receives second communication information from the public communication network. The communication interface then generates second exercise information based on the second communication information wherein the second exercise information indicates a response to the exercise performance. The communication interface then transmits the second exercise information to the exercise machine.
In one embodiment, an exercise server receives the first communication information from the public communication network. The exercise server determines a response to the exercise performance based on the first communication information. The exercise server then generates the second communication information based on the response of the exercise performance. The exercise server transmits the second communication information from the exercise server to the public communication network.
The invention allows exercisers to advantageously interact in geographically diverse locations. This interaction provides competition or camaraderie so exercisers do not have to exercise alone. For example, some people prefer personal trainers to help with techniques and provide motivation. With this system, an exerciser can benefit from a personal trainer who is not in the same location. Thus, the exercising becomes more entertaining. In addition, this combination allows exercise enthusiasts to form groups with similar interests and energy.
Also, the invention advantageously allows the exerciser to interact with more powerful systems that store performance data, track competitions, and save physical measurements of body conditions. In some embodiments, when emergency situations arise, an alarm system can be notified to prevent injury or serious illness.